Franz burger



(No Model.)

P.BURGER. ELEGTRIG BLOCK SYSTEM.

No. 602,208. Patented Apr. 12, 1898.

witnesses TNITED STATES PATENT Fries,

FRANZ BURGER, OF FORT WVAYNE, INDIANA, ASSIGN OR OF THREE-FOURTHS TO HENRY M. WILLIAMS, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC, BLOCK SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 602,208, dated April 12, 1898.

Application filed August 2, 1 8 9 7.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANZ BURGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Block Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric railways, and more especially to what-may be termed a 10 block-system electric railway; and it has for its object to provide means whereby rearend collisions may be prevented and the current supplied to the cars may be automatically controlled; and to these ends my inven- I 5 tion consists in the various features of construction and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter more particularly set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawing,

2 5 ways, especially where there is a large number of cars on the same track, is a rear-endcollision, and it is the object of my present invention to provide means for preventing such collisions, and I accomplish this in the present instance by dividing the feeding-circuit into sections and so arranging the circuits and connections that when a car is passin g over or receiving current from one section the section immediately behind it shall be automatically out out of circuit, so that a car on that section will receive no current and cannot receive current until the first car has 7 passed out of the section from'wh'ich it is receiving current. While various means may. be used to accomplish these results and while my present invention does not include the specific form or construction of such means,

I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing one effective arrangement of circuits and connections whereby the objects of my invention may be accomplished, and it will be understood that I do not limit myself to the details illustrated.

In the drawing, A represents a suitable generator supplying current to the main leading-conductor 13, extending along the line of the figure illustrates, diagrammatically, an

Serial No. 646,794. (No model.)

road, and the generator is connected to the return-conductor B, in this instance shown as the track-rails. The feeding or line. circuit is divided into insulated trolley-sections, 5 5 as L L L to L and in the present instance is shown as an overhead feeding-circuit adapted to supply current to trolleys G on the cars H. Connected to the leading-conductor B are the section-feeders O O O to 0 there being one for each insulated trolley-section; but these are not connected directly with the insulated trolley-sections and are only connected by means of switch devices, and the section-feeders are not connected with the insulated trolley-section conductor next adjacent to it, but with one in the rear thereof, as will appear more fully hereinafter.

F F, &c., represent switches arranged to operate in connection with the section-feed 7o ers, and these switches may be variously constructed, and, as shown in the present instance, comprise an arm f, of conducting material, and an arm f, of non-conducting material, supporting an armature f Extending from the pivotal point of each switch F F, &c., is a conductor E E, each of which includes a magnet J J, and each conductor is connected to one of the insulated trolley-sections L L, in the present instance being connected to the insulated trolley-sections next beyond the switch, to the pivotal point of which it is connected. These switches in the present instance. are adapted to be closed with their respective section-feeders by the trolleys on the cars, and theyare adapted to be opened by the corresponding magnet J when energized by the current passing through the corresponding circuit E. Other means for operating the switches may be used, as they are immaterial in connection with the essential features of my invention. 7

With this brief description of the general construction and arrangement of theapparatus I will now describe the mode of opera 5 tion as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and I will assume that the generator is supplying current to the leading-conductor B and the section-feeders O 0. Switch F is shown. in position to connect the sectionfeeder C with the conductor E, which is connected to the insulating trolley-section L through magnet J. The trolley G of the car H is in contact with this insulated trolleysection L and with the return-conductor 13. Consequently current is supposed to be flowing through the section-feeder 0, switch F, conductor E, magnet J, insulated trolley-section L, trolley G, and car to propel the latter, and by the return-conductor to the generator. Current passing through the conductor E energizes magnet J, and this has operated on switch F, so as to break contact with the section-feeder C, and as insulated trolley-section L is connected to receive its current from section-feeder C it will be seen that no current can pass owing to the position of switch F, and if any car should approach car H it would receive no current while on insulated trolley-section L and cannot receive current until car H has passed beyond section L and mechanically operated switch F to close the circuit with the section-feeder C. In this way it will be seen that the insulating trolleysection behind any passing car is cut out of circuit with the linefeeder, and consequently a car reaching that section will receive no current until the car preceding it has passed out of the forward section. a

It will be seen that section-feeder C is connected by conductor E through switch F and magnet J with insulating trolley-section L but no current can pass to the return-conductor B until the car and its trolley reach that section. It will be noted that car H and its trolley G are in connection with insulating trolley-section L and this section receives current by the conductor E through switch F and section-feeder O and this has operated the switch F to break contact with section-feeder 0", so that insulating trolleysection L can receive no current, and a car approaching this would be stopped, preventing any collision.

From this description and illustration it will readily be seen how my improved blocksystem circuit is arranged and utilized for the purpose intended, and it will be observed that under no circumstances can a car following another car receive current to propel the same when in the insulating trolley-section next succeeding the section in which the car is running. It will also be observed that when a car approaches a section and receives current to propel the same the next precedin g section is automatically cut out of circuit and remains cut out until the car passes out of the section from which it is receiving current. As the car passes out of a section it leaves the switch in position with the circuit closed to the next preceding insulating trolley-section, and as it enters a new section it immediately operates to cut out of circuit the section it has just left. It will further be seen that normally the switches are in such position that each insulating trolley-section, except the one next behind a car, is electrically connected with its proper section-feeder C; but no currentwill flow until a car enters that particular section and completes the circuit between the section and the return-conductor 13.

While I- have shown the switch mechanically operated by the trolley, it may be otherwise operated, the only essential in this respect being that as a car enters a section it shall operate to disconnect the section it has just left from its corresponding section feeder, and when the car leaves a section it shall operate to automatically connect the dead insulating trolley-section with its proper section-feeder, so that the line shall be in condition for the proper movements of the cars at all times, but so that at no time can a car following another receive current when within the length of one insulating trolley-section from the preceding car.

What I claim is-- In an electrical railway block system, the combination with the leading and return conductors of a series of insulated trolley-sections, a series of section-feeders, a normallyclosed switch for each section-feeder located at the entrance of each trolley-section and adapted to be engaged by the trolley, a connection between said switch and a rear trolley-section, and a switch-operating magnet in said connection whereby when a car onters a section the corresponding magnet is energized to open the switch and break the circuit controlling the rear section and when the trolley leaves the section and enters a succeeding section, the trolley operates the switch to restore it to its normal or closed position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANZ BURGER.

Witnesses:

GEO. K. TORRENCE,

GEO. D. CRANE. 

